Chapters 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.”
“How can you know it?” whispered Deeter back.
“Did you saw that pink pony, who just walked by?”
“Yea, and?”
“When I was here last time, she came to welcome me, few seconds, after entering. As far as I know, she is local party pony and knows everypony who lives here. If she would be real, she wouldn´t ignore us.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. And when I think about it – where did changelings came from? From what direction on the map?”
“Sou-” They both looked on each other.
“Celestia damn it! What do we do?” asked Snaky, with worry in eyes.
“There is what we are gonna do.” Even though, Deeter was also suprised, his experience as a vice-captain allowed him to come out with a decent plan.
“We can assume, that princess Twilight Sparkle is also fake, so my idea is, that the changeling, who is pretending to be her, must be some high officer, since such responsibility can´t take just anypony. So, let´s find where does Princess live, defeat the officer and maybe we will find some informations.”
Grey unicorn nodded.
“If I remember correctly, she lived in a treehouse or something like that.”
After few minutes walking through the town and trying to not get anyponies attention, they finally found the library.
“So we will just walk inside?” asked Snaky and looked on Deeter, who was for some reason looking into windows of another house, standing nearby. Then he just walked inside the house and Snaky doubtfully followed him.
„What are you doing?“ asked him.
„You said that your illusions can be casted by listening to music right?“
„Yea...“
„Then look at this.“ Deeter opened one of the doors and Snaky couldn´t do anything but stare with opened mouth.
The room had several giant speakers, which seemingly could be very loud and on top of that there were of course instruments. One of them being electric guitar.
“How did you know about this?”
“This is house of Vinyl Scratch. Back home I have all her CDs and few times I was even exchanging letters with her.”
“So that´s how it is. Can you play on some of this?”
“We shall see.”
* * * * * *
“I have to admit, that I wasn´t expecting it to be so easy.” said Deeter, when he was waving with his hoof in front of fake Twilight Sparkle.
“Heh. Easy, yea right. That´s maybe because all you did was plaing on guitar.” answered him Snaky, who had trouble with breathing by exhoustment.
“Sorry. Anyway, here is a map and some documents, just rest for a while and I will take a look at them.”
Illusionist just nodded and sat down and listened to music, which they had to keep playing, or the spell would end.
“Interesting. So according to this map there are three prisons, where are imprisioned Princess Twilight and her friends. The rest of Ponyville is taken to their main city to work in mines.”
“Three prisions? Where?”
“One of them, where should be Applejack and Pinkie Pie is hidden in Everfree Forest. The other two are way further, near borders with Badlands, where is also the capital city of changelings.”
“We have to go save them, if somepony can help Crystal Empire, it´s princess Twilight and her friends.”
“True, so let´s go and stop wasting time here. Everything we need to know is in this map. Should we let the music...”
“...going?” finished Snaky.
They both realized that there was no music, what they could let going. Two ponies akwardly turned around and saw very angry looking eyes of changelings, who changed to their original forms and were staring right at them.
“Heh.”
“Run!” shouted Deeter and they both rushed to the door with changelings right behind their backs.
Unfortunately, more changelings crossed their path and blocked their way to freedom.
“Do you have any ideas?” asked Snaky.
“Just one. Don´t stop running, whatever happens.”
“Are you sure?”
“No.”
Deeter´s horn shined with red and above two ponies appeared two purple shields and sword what slightly hit the shield. Same thing appeared above two random changelings.
“Let´s do this!” shouted white unicorn and they both rushed out of the building, don´t minding the changelings.
They menaged to get out, because even though, some of the changelings had spears, anytime any of the cretures hit them, the wound appeared on one of the changelings whom had purple shields above them before.
Thanks to this, they were able to escape infested town into the woods.
“Damn it. My body isn´t builted for this kind of stuff.” wheezed Snaky, after they got rid of the enemies.
“I guess that you are the type of pony who spends most of time with a book in hooves right?”
“Yea, and I was happy with it. By the way, what was that spell, which you used to protect us?”
“I call it The Marthyr. Basically it transfers the damage from a victim on The Marthyr and protects you, until The Marthyr is dead. Who in our case is definetely.” explained Deeter, frowning at blood coming out of shallow wound on leg.
“I get it. Also good question to ask would be, where are we just now?”
“According to the map I think that we are in Everfree forest, but on the other side, then the prison, so we have to go through it.”
“Awesome, simply awesome.”
After a while of walking, Snaky spoke to Deeter.
“About our escape from the Ponyville.” he paused for few seconds. “You saved my life back there. Thank you.”
Deeter patted him on the back.
“Of course! We are friends, aren´t we?”
“Friends...I guess so.” answered Snaky and doubtfully smiled. “That sounds about right.”
* * * * *
Back in the Crystal Empire.
* * * * *
“Damn it! I should´ve told it to him earlier. Now it would be simply crazy, Shining has lot´s of things to worry about, he doesn´t need even more of them.” whispered Cadence silently to herself.
She walked to the balcone and looked at the changelings, waiting behind the barrier.
“Deeter Spirit, please come back home safe and with help. Shining Armor can´t protect the Empire forever.”
It´s been hours, since two unicorns escaped from Ponyville, but for them it could´ve been minutes or even days. Through the leafes wasn´t sun visible so they had no meaning of knowing, how long they were already walking.
They had a map, but it didn´t help much, because the forest was pictured as a three green areas, without any roads.
“At least it is nice in here.” broke the silence Snaky, as always trying to entertain himself. So far he spended most of time daydreaming, but it started to bore him, some time ago. Deeter wished he had the same problem as him. His mind was filled with worries, not only about Crystal Empire but now about citizens of Ponyville too.
With this problem Snaky prooved himself to be completly useless to help with. Vice-captain remebered his words, not long after they began their adventure in the forest.
* * * * * *
“Aren´t you worried about ponies at all?” asked him angrily, when he saw his friend, beeing completly amused by snake, resting on grass.
“Worried? No, I am not.”
“How can you say that?” Deeter had to admit, that he was kinda jaelous on grey unicorn, how he always found something, which made him smile.
“I simply don´t care.”
White pony widely opened eyes with suprise and immidietly wanted to say something, but Snaky stopped him by putting his hoof to lips.
“Let´s take you as an example. Why do you want to protect Crystal Empire?”
“It´s my duty.” answered him without hesitating. This question was something, what he asked himself a lot.
“Exactly. Now why do you want to protect Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor? You can´t say that it´s your duty, because if you had to choose, you would most likely choosed to save Cadence, rather then a random crystal pony right?”
Deeter opened mouth to protest, but was stopped again.
“You don´t have to answer. For Princess Cadence you feel love of some kind. Like when subjects loves their king. That is is how it is. Now, for the interesting part. What reason do I have for trying to save Crystal Empire?”
“I guess...you don´t want to see Equestria being rulled by Queen Chrysalis.”
“Exactly!”
Snaky happily laught and put his hoof on Deeter´s shoulder and stared him into eyes.
“We are both different in some ways. If we will save Princess Cadence the she will try defeat Queen Chrysalis. Now if we won´t save her, then guess who will fight?”
“Nopony?”
“Wrong. We will have to. Now, I am not saying that we would actually defeat her, but we would have to try. Do you understand, what am I trying to say?”
“Convenience. You want to save Princess Cadence so you didn´t had to fight Chrysalis.”
“Yes! Now, don´t blame me for this, I simply don´t have bounds with her like you do.”
“But this mean that you DO care. And what about other ponies what we are trying to save right now?”
Now he cought Snaky off guard, which made him realize what he actually said at the beginning.
“Heh. A little, I guess. It´s nothing big really. About other ponies, there is few who I really want to save. Others...” Snaky took deep breath and kinda backed up from Deeter. “If they will die, while we are in this forest, then it´s not our fault. Therefore it´s not our buisness. Actually, it would be good, because we would gain time.”
Now he had to spoke.
“What the heck do you mean by this? Are you saying, that as far as the death of ponies isn´t your fault, then you don´t care about it? How can you say that?!”
“Should I care about every pony in the Equestria? I don´t have a reason. You asked me, how can I be so calm. It´s because if I will not, then I would risk life of those who I actually care about!”
“But caring about others is something what everypony should do!”
“Damn it! Since you are failing to understand, let me tell you this straight. If we will go through this freaking forest lost in thoughts about citizens of Ponyville, we will just propably end up in a lair of changelings, without noticing. And then everypony will die, your beloved Princess too, so listen to me friend : Crystal Empire is safe and that is all you should care about, if you want to save other ponies, then we have to be fast and not screw around.”
“It was you who was watching snakes.”
“Because I didn´t know that you are such savior. You want to save everypony? Fine, let´s go.”
* * * * * *
When Deeter thinked about it, he had right, but for some reason, he couldn´t shake off suspicion, that Snaky is hiding from him something. At the end of their conversation he wasn´t just angry – there was pain in his voice too.
Who are the ponies, that he – accordíng to his words – does care about?
What happened, that he lost care about foreing ponies. So much, that he would be willing to let them die, just so his plans worked better? No matter, how good did he mean it, it still was way too coldhearted for Deeter.
Vice-captain shortly looked at him and noticed that he was daydreaming once again. What could it be, that he has to think about it so often.
“Snaky?” spoke carefuly, he was fully determited to ask him about it, but didn´t want to ruin it.
“What?”
“What are you daydreaming about? Like...you do it all the time. In the train, in the forest...”
Quiet laugh.
“Maybe I will tell you about it later, but now we have bigger things to worry about.”
“What things?”
“We reached the swamp, that devides Everfree forest into three parts. And the worst of all, the sky isn´t covered by trees here and there might be changelings patroling.”
It was true, throught the woods shined the sun and both ponies could see dozens of small lakes, all over the swamp. Also few quite big ones.
“How are we going to cross it?” asked Snaky, with worries. Deeter was happy that he, at least sometimes, doesn´t see everything with rose glasses.
“I have an idea, but you will not like it.”
“Oh my Celestia. Last time it was running though group of changelings with weapons. What is it going to be this time?”
Vice-captain leaned to him and whispered his plan. They were talking just normaly so far, but he wanted to be sure, that if there is an anemy listening to them, then he will not know what are they planning.
“You are crazy, crazy, crazy!” told him illusionist, after white pony finished telling the plan.
“Are you into it?”
“Like if I had a choice, but I will not forget it.”
“I am sure you will not.”
Deeter focused and his horn began to glow with magic, then he touched with it the ground and that coused it to shake a little.
“That´s not enough.” spoke Snaky behind him, while he was looking for enemies in the sky. White unicorn tryied harder and next wave of this small earthquake was so strong, that two ponies had to crouch down, for safety and Deeter stopped with his spell.
Few seconds was quiet, but then horrifying scream broke the peace in the forest. From the biggest lake of all in the swamp came giant hydra, seemingly very mad for being awoken. It angrily looked around, until it´s eyes stopped on two ponies and it immediately set of in their direction with very obvious intention.
“Just before we die, thank you for choosing such nice way to do so.” Said Snaky with wide grin on his face, before the hydra grabbed them and two of her heads swallowed both ponies like strawberries.
„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.”
“Captain! Is everything alright? You walk like if you are hurt!” worried a changeling, when he met his captain almost not being to walk straight.
“Eh...I am fine. Call everyone here. I am not strong enough for it.”
Soldier just nodded, took a deep breath and shouted:
“Emergency! Everybody come to the prison cells!” quickly the hallways filled sound of clapping hooves and both changelings were soon surrounded by other shape shifters.
“Prisioners escaped! They don´t know where to go, so search the whole cave system, before you start searching outside. Now!” commanded the captain and leaned against the wall. All changelings immediately runned to all directions to perform captain´s order, just the one who called them stayed with him.
„Captain you are not alright! Please let me escort you to the basement, so you can get some medicaments.”
“You are right.” the soldier slighly hunched, so his superior could lean on him.
They walked slow, because the captain every once a while tripped or his head spinned, so he almost fell. His subordinate tried to get out of him what exactly happened to him, but the officer told him to not care about it. And that wasn´t the only thing that worried him. Just where in the name of Chrysalis did cell guards went? Their bodies weren´t found anywhere near the cells, even though, there wasn´t any reason for them to not be there. They didn´t even come to listen emergency warning.
“We are here captain.”
Hurt changeling raised his head and tiredly looked at wooden door with big sign saying “basement”.
“Finally.”
The officer carefuly tried to stood up straight. During this he put his hoof on solders head and before he could notice it, slammed his head into stone wall. Changeling fell to the ground, if not dead then definetely unconsciousness.
“Damn it. I don´t have any magic left.” whispered fake officer, his shape bluerd and he turned into grey unicorn.
“Better find that hat and get out of here.”
After a while of searching through piles of rubbish and useless stuff he found the Applejack´s hat. With his goal accomplished, pony came out of the room, where he saw group of changelings, apparently waiting for their captain, not expecting foreing pony to come out.
Their eyes were moving from bleeding changeling on the floor, to Snaky.
“Get him!” shouted one of him and tried to hit the unicorn with a sword, being holded by his green magic.
Snaky barely dodged the attack, what would amost surely kill him, but forgot about his weakness and fell on the floor, right next to the changeling who came there with him. Next to the body lied sword, same as the one what he just dodged.
Snaky Arcanum quickly grabbed the handle with his teeth and stabbed himself the the leg with it.
It hurt really bad, but along with pain came adrenaline and bit of energy.
“Let´s play one last game, shall we?”
* * * * * * *
“We are almost outside!” shouted Snaky at the mares running next to him. He didn´t have to look behind him to know, that changelings are still chasing them. The clapping of their hooves was enough to confirm that.
“Huff, why are you smiling at situation like this?” asked him Deeter, when he noticed the grin on his friend´s face.
“I have suprise for you.” he didn´t say anything else, so he didn´t waste his breath. The entrance to the cave was so near that they could see the dayling.
All four ponies rushed out and white unicorn right away turned so he could somehow stop their pursuers. He was really suprised when the changelings turned into clouds of smoke, when they came out and dissapeared like a bad dream.
“What the...?” was all he got out of himself.
“They were just illusions? Snaky, why...” Applejack turned around, when she realized that the grey unicorn isn´t anywhere near.
“That idiot. He casted an illusion on us, so we got out and he could go find that your hat!” realized vice-captain and performed an hoofpalm.
“We can´t let him there alone! Ah noticed that he was really tired and he had to use lotta magic for guards to not notice us escaping!”
“Yea, let´s go!”
All three ponies hurried back to the cave, where they just came from. Along the way they noticed that none of the guards, who they previously went past, aren´t there anymore. Somepony had to call them somewhere else.
“Do ya hear it guys?” asked Applejack after while, sounding higly nervous.
“What?”
“Listen for a while.”
Everypony stopped and tried to catch, whatever was AJ talking about.
Laughter.
And not just normal one. Whatever was making sounds like this had to be either on the edge of insanity or to be incredibly entertained. Deeter decided to go with the other choice, since why would anypony laugh in place like this?
So they continued deeper into the cave, back to cells, where Pinkie and Applejack were being holded. Fortunately nopony crossed their path for some strange reason, even though they could hear other noises, then just someponies laughter.
“There he is!” saw Deeter his friend standing next to the cells and being completly amused, by something what other ponies could see just yet.
“So this is what he was talkin about.” whispered Applejack so quietly that nopony heard it.
Snaky was resting, leaned on the wall and laughting so loud that it was suprising that nothing fell on his head from the ceiling, watching three changelings fight to the death with their comrades. Deeter, who knew him some time already knew that they are trapped in some kind of illusion and could only imagine what did they see.
“Oh, hi guys. I was just on my way out. Also I have the hat!”
How can he act like a small kid in a situation like this? This was the quetion that Deeter asked himself, when they were coming closer to him, ale he´d like to know what seemed so funny to him.
Snaky tried to make step towards them, but ended up falling and group of ponies just now noticed the blood coming out of open wound on his leg.
“What happened to you you?” worried Applejack and rushed to him, not minding her surroundings.
Next few seconds were for Deeter like in slow motion. From shadows in one of the cells stepped out changeling with frenzy look on his face and with sword, prepared to stab bypassing mare to the ribs. Before he did it, Snaky somehow menaged to get up, grab Applejack by her shoulders and use energy of her movement to get on her place.
Deeter´s sense of time returned back to normal, when the grey unicorn fall on the floor with sword stabbed in his side and blood coming out of his mouth.
“Darn!” AJ kicked the changeling to the head and pulledSnaky on her back.
“We have to get out of here!” said and all ponies once again runned out of the cave, into the woods.
* * * * * * *
“How is he doing?” asked Deter, when he finally menaged to catch up Applejack, who was already checking Snaky´s injuries.
“Not good at all.” answered him and vice-captain noticed the despair in her eyes.
“Let me try something.”
Deeter kneeled next to her and focused his magic on unicorn´s wounds. He didn´t do it for a long time, but he hoped that he still could heal, using his magic as good as few years ago.
Red glow embraced the wounds and they began to close up. Blood stopped flowing and Snaky´s breath returned to normal.
“Did ya´ll...”
“Almost.” interrupted her. “His wounds might be closed but any sudden movement will open them again, also his body is now incredibly exhousted. Not only because it had to heal his wounds, he also went behind his limits and went as far as hurting himself to squeeze out of him more energy.”
“So what are we gonna do?”
“I don´t know. We can´t take him with us in this state.”
“I have and idea, I have and idea!” screamed Pinkie, who was up until now silent, propably because of the sadness, that she has been through in the prison.
“What?”
“We can take him to Zecora! If anypony can take care of him, it´s her!”
“Zecora?” asked Deeter, who didn´t know, who mentioned pony was.
“She is like super duper wise pony! She lives not far from here in Everfree Forest.”
“Don´t you think that changelings found her?”
“Ah don´t think so. Zecora knows Everfree Forest like nopony else. There is no way those shape shiftin pricks could find her.” Applejack joined the conversation.
“So, let´s go find her!”
Vice-captain carefuly picked the grey pony with his magic and pulled him on his back. During this he noticed strange thing.
“Huh? When this happened?”
“What?”
“I am pretty sure that Snaky didn´t have a cutiemark when I first met him.”
“He didn´t?”
“Nope. I don´t usually notice it, so I didn´t think about it, but now when I look at it, there is no way I could overlook it.”
Applejack walked next to him and looked at Snaky´s flank. Snake staring at apple, with his tail wrapped around it.
“What could it mean?”
“It looks to meh like if the apple was bait and the snake was waitin for somepony to grab it.”
“Maybe.”
So the group of ponies set off to find Zecora´s hut, every one of them had something to think about, in Deeter´s case it was Snaky´s cutiemark.
Seems like I know him better then you Applejack. The apple is not a bait, no, no. The snake is protecting the apple. The question, that I´d like to know answer on, is why does he wants to protect it?
“Applejack?”
“Hm?”
“What happened between you and Snaky?”
Orange mare heavily sighed and stared on the ground, deciding how to answer.
“It happened two years ago in Ponyville. I was searching for mah dog in Everfree Forest when I met him. Better said, found him. He has been attacked by timber wolfes which are wooden creatures. He was badly hurt so I took him to Ponyville, where I discovered that hospital was closed so I took him to Sweet Apple Acres to take care of him by mahself.”
Deeter just noticed how sad her eyes were, when she looked on Snaky, who was still unconsciousness.
“It´s incredible how was that situation similar to this one.”
* * * * * * * *
“Big Mac. Bring same bandanges and desifection. This guy was attacked by timber wolfes!” shoiuted Aj at her brother, when she came home with wounded pony on her back.
“Yeup!” answered and quickly rushed away.
Meanwhile young mare put Snaky on hay and started to examine his wounds. He had several bites on legs and chest and also three deep injuries from claws.
“Damn sugar cube. Those pricks gave you really hard times.”
“Here you go sis.” spoke Big Mac behin her and handed her small box. Aj took out bottle with clear liguid and carefuly poured it on hurt pony´s wounds.
“Aaaaargh!” shouted Snaky when first few drops touched the flesh and instinctively kicked with his hind legs.
“Big Mac! Hold him so he doesn´t move!”
Large stallion did as his sis told him and soon the grey unicorn had all his wounds badaged and exhousted fell asleep.
“What will ya´ll do next sis?”
“I will stay with him for a while, just to asure that he is gonna be OK.”
“Yeup!”
Red stallion walked away and Applejack got left alone with Snaky.
“I just hope that he won´t get a fever.” whispered and put her hoof on his forehead.
“Eyes...”
AJ got startler and looked around who spoke, until she realized that it had to be pony next to her, so she tried to listen, if he will say anything else.
“Why...why does nopony look into my eyes?”
It definetely spoke him.
“Is he having a dream? About what could it be?”
Grey unicorn unfortunaly didn´t say more, except mumbling from his sleep. Applejack felt kinda bad for listening, but she was also very curious. What was he doing in Evefree Forest and why the wolfes didn´t eat him, when they had opportunity? And now on top of all that, this mysterious sentence.
Why does nopony look into my eyes?
What does it mean?
Later AJ had to do her chores so she left sleeping pony in the barn, since they hadn´t any better place to put him in.
“I will check on him few more times today and hopefuly he will get better tomorrow.”
* * * * * * *
“So this is how you´ve met? Snaky mentioned that he met nice ponies in Ponyville, but why he didn´t stay there?”
“Don´t worry, I´ll get to it. Did he explained to you what he meant by not looking into his eyes?”
“I just know that it´s his way hot to trap somepony in a illusion, but nothing what would explain his talking from sleep.”
* * * * * *
“Do ya fell better?” asked Applejack when she, next day, brought to Snaky bowl of mashed apples for breakfast.
“Not really, my whole body hurts like hell. Also who are you? And where am I?”
“Mah name is Applejack and we are in Ponyville. I found you in forest, wouded and took you here.”
“I remember now. Thank you...Applejack.” answered her still with very tired and quiet voice.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Why did you go through Everfree Forest? Everypony knows that it´s very dangerous place.”
Snaky guiltily looked away.
“It´s...hard to explain and I don´t think that I have enough strengh for it. Can you plase wait until tomorrow? I promise that I will give you answers on all of your questions.”
* * * * * *
“Did you get your answers?”
“Yes, but they weren´t what I expected.”
Orange mare sligtly shivered as she remembered things from the past.
“You know, this is something what you should as his friend learn. Snaky does care about physical wounds, but he has no regards for your emotions. His explaining back then...was kinda frightening.”
* * * * * *
Applejack was in the orchard, apple bucking as she did every day, when she heard trotting behin her. When the orange mare turned around she saw grey unicorn with back and purple mane, staring at her.
“You wanted to know why I went through Everfree Forest and not some safe way. The truth is that I am not sure myself. I needed time to think about my life and so I didn´t even noticed, what I´ve entered.”
“When I brough you here. You were whipering from the sleep a while.”
Snaky curiously looked at orange pony and waited for whatever she was gonna say.
“You said: Why does nopony look into my eyes? Please don´t be mad, but I got really curious about that.”
Sigh.
“I owe you my life so I think that you deserve the answer.”
Unicorn sat on the ground and AJ did the same in front of him.
“When I was small, I found out that I have very specific kind of magic. Shortly said I am able to trap into illusion anypony who looks into my eyes. I did what any other kid would do. Started to show it off, made pranks on everypony and generally was annoying. As time past ponies got scared of my magic, so scared that they stopped looking into my eyes, just to be safe from it.
Of course I was small and I didn´t understand it and nopony would tell me. Can you imagine how heart-breaking it is when you go talk to somepony and he will not look straight at you and will try to leave as fast as possible?
My parents weren´t like them, but also didn´t understand how I felt about it and so I grew up alone, just with my familly to count on.”
“That´s horrible!”
“Not as much as you might think. If you are alone whole life, you will get used to it and eventually start to enjoy solitude. And so I hated ponies in that city more and more until I left. You can imagine my suprise when I came to neaby city and everypony already heard of me and were hiding from me and looking away anytime I went around.
That is how I got Everfree Forest.”
Applejack wasn´t able to speak up for a while, until she found the courage to ask:
“How exactly are your illusions?”
Snaky´s horn shined and nearby tree bursted into fire, which immidietly spred on others and soon the whole orchard around them was on fire.
Apllejack was so suprised that she didn´t even force herself to stand up, just tears started slowly to flow out of her eyes.
Snaky noticed it and all flames suddenly disspeared.
“Now you know. I can make your worst fears come true or the opposite. Your happiest dreams. But everything will be real just in my realm and that is why everypony is cared of me and my eyes.”
“What...what are you going to do now?”
“Leave. I didn´t expect anything what happend. You were kind to me, even though I am competly foreing pony and that is more that anypony ever did for me. Maybe this world isn´t as bad as I though.”
Grey unicorn slowly started to wane.
“Good bye kind Applejack. We will meet again, if your life will be in danger, I am going to save you.”
With these last words Snaky dissapered.
“Damn!”
Orange mare quickly rushed back to farm, along the was she runned near local hospital where as every day worked the nurse Redheart. When AJ finally arrived home she right away entered the barn and looked for Snaky. Not only that he wasn´t there, but there was also no blood.
“Was all of this...just and illusion?”
So you´ve never actualy met him?”
“Nope. It´s kinda scary situation, isn´t it?”
Deeter looked at with condused look on his face.
“What do you mean?”
“That somepony like Snaky exists. Somepony who can trick your mind, that you will competly loose sense overview of the world.” She answered him and white unicorn noticed that orange mare slightly shivered. As far as he knew Applejack was elelement of honesty, at least before they had to gave up the Elements. Celestia knows what she had to think about somepony as tricky as Snaky.
And when he thinked about it, what did he actually thought of him? Snaky prooved to him his loyalty, but how could he knew that everything wasn´t just an illusion?
Deeter shaked his head. The last think they needed was distrust.
“Hey! Look guys! We got to a river!” screamed Pinkie hapilly and jumped around them.
“Damn, it would be dangerous going straight through it, the stream seems strong and it might took Snaky off my back.”
“So what do we do?” asked AJ.
“I will try to teleport us on the other side. I am not sure if it will work, because I didn´t practise too much in few past months.”
Deeter closed his eyes and focused on channeling the magic. His horn slightly shined but almost immediately stopped and left vice-captain with light headache.
“What happened?”
“I don´t know. It seems that I don´t have any magic left!”
“How is that possible? We didn´t meet any danger for a long time now, you should´ve been recovered by now!”
“As I said: I don´t know. We will just have to find another way across.”
* * * * * *
“So this is where that pony Zecora lives?” asked Deeter and pointed at old hut, deep in the forest.
“Yea, I just hope that changelings didn´t find her first.”
Group of ponies walked to the door and when Applejack knocked on the door, which shortly opened, and ponies could see, that their concerns were not necessary. Zecora seemed to be not hurt and with curiosity looked at group of ponies.
“Greetings everypony, I didn´t expect you,
but seems that you didn´t expect something too.”
“Greetings, miss Zecora. My name is Deeter Spirit, I am vice-captain of the royal guard in Crystal Empire. We came to ask you for help.”
“Pleasure to meet you, come inside,
there you can tell me, what on your heart lies.”
All ponies walked inside and were greeted by creepy masks, which Zecora gathered. White unicorn with help of Applejack laid Snaky down on thick blanket, which zebra brought, when she saw trickster´s condition.
“Our friend was attacked by changelings, I menaged to heal him but now he is going to be very sensitive on diseases, so we can´t take him with us. Can you please help him?”
“Of course I can, tea from herbs is all he is going to need,
but where did come creatures, which would cause such deed?”
Vice-captain explained her situation with Ponyville, because zecora seemingly didn´t even met changelings, which wasn´t too suprising, because of how deep the forest was and also because they propably didn´t know about her either, so there wasn´t a reason to send them search through the Everfree.
“If that is how things are, you can stay here as you need,
even with strengh from hearbs, it will take a while for you friend to heal.”
“That´s a generous offer Zecora. Thank you.” answered her Zecora and looked on Deeter, who was up until now sitting next to Snaky and now was walking to zecora.
“I also thank you miss, but I can´t stay here. Others are still locked by changelings and I have to save them as fast as possible, so we can go to the Crystal Empire and save it from changelings too.”
“Then we will go with you!”
“No! You girls have to stay here, in safety. Your lives are much more importatnt then mine and I don´t want to risk the possibility that we could seperate completly.”
“But look how Snaky ended up, when he decided to take things into his hooves! It´s too dangerous.”
“Don´t worry, I can take care of myself. Also the greates power of changelings is being able to change shapes. That ability will be useless if I´ll go alone.”
White unicorn waited a while if somepony wanted to protest, then he said good bye and walked out of the hut.
* * * * * *
“Don´t worry Applejack. When pony is protecting something from his heart,
and love he doesn´t lack, there is no dangerous situation too hard.”
“I just feel bad. Because of me Snaky got hurt and now he is going there alone.”
*from all cornes of the hut sounded quiet laugh*
“He is going to be safe. Changelings have no power over him, when he is alone. Also his decision if very important part of my plan.” spoke an unknown voice, which sounded like echo of multiple speaking ponies and in the deepest shadow appeared pair of green eyes. For a second, ponies and zebra could see purple and green flame coming out of them.
“Who are you?” shouted Applejack and carefuly watched the pony, hiding in shadows.
“You know who I am, you just can´t see it...yet. But that isn´t important. There is something what deeter doesn´t know about the crystal what he found in body of dead changeling. He knows that it sends magic somewhere. That “somewhere” is Queen Chrysalis. Now you maybe realize what I mean by this.”
Nopony spoke.
“Well, let me tell you that Crystal Empire is being protected by magic of it´s prince Shining Armor. Not by Crysta Heart´s amgic. Why? That magic was devoured by changlings, instantly. Do you understand know?”
Applejack stared into his green eyes.
“Are you sayin that all that magic was sended to Queen Chrysalis?”
“That is right. Right know, she is most likely holding power far beyond of that of friendship or love. Time is running out, much faster then we thought, that´s why I let Deeter to go alone. I am going to save Princess Twilight and her unicorn friend on my own, so we can go save Crystal empire.”
“Wait. What do you mean that you “let” him go? And who in the hay are you?”
Pony walked to the Snaky, somehow still covered in shadow, which moved along with him and slowly touched the unicorn. Snaky scattered like large crystal thrown down from mountain.
“I am the one who just died in front of your eyes.” said grey unicorn, when he walked out of the darkness.
“He was a mistake. My mistake, which I´ve never should´ve done. He started to relay on his friends too much. It´s time do things seriously.”
“What the...? Snaky? How is it possible?”
“Pff. The whole time all of this was just and illusion. Well, most of it. I´ve never got hurt, we simply walked to the basement, disguised as changelings and saved you. Then I took us here so you two were safe.”
“But why all that nonsense?”
“As I said, the Snaky who you just saw shatter was getting out of my hooves. I had to do few changes in my point of view, so this didn´t repeat.”
Unicorn slightly waggled, but menaged to not fall.
“Also there is a reason behin some things what happened during our way here. Some of them, like when you noticed my cutiemark was just my way of killing time. But that lack of deeter´s magic is a concern. What happened is that all his magic was slowly sucked out and sended to queen Chrysalis. That´s also what happened to changelings and the reason why they never changed shapes. The crystal takes all the magic, not just what they eats.”
Snaky slowly pulled out the crystal which just few hours ago had Deeter with him, then he dropped it on the ground and crushed it with his hoof.
“It´s time to show those imitations of my magic my true power. I am going to save Princess Twilight and then we will save Crystal empire...together.”
“So how will I do this?” whispered Deeter, when he watched pair of changelings walking in front of entrance to a cave hidden deep in Hayseed Swamps, several days later.
Since he left Zecora´s hut, he travelled as fast as possible, to this abondoned corner of Equestria, to find a prison showed in the map.
The journey was long and boring, he didn´t realize before, how he grow used to Snaky and his eternal optimism. But now he stood there alone and without an reliable plan. Planning never was something what he did, even as vice-captain he was used to listen orders, not to make them and if so, then he went for quick, direct solution.
Deeter wished to not be in freaking swamp where all the wood was wet. If he was somewhere dry, he could set forestfire to lure changelings out of the cave, but here it wasn´t an option.
“But there is something else, I can do.” unicorn smiled and by sneaky movement, so the changlings didn´t notice him he walked to the mountains, which made nature border between Hayseed Swamp and Badlands.
It was dangerous, even though not for him, but for ponies imprisioned deep in the cave. But there was no other option he couldn´t possibly fight all the changelings head to head and he also couldn´t just left the ponies there.
His horn shined with red magic and beam of light began to melt the stone, where it touched it and burned deep straight hole into side of the mountain. The hole was ruffly half of feet wide.
Then he raised his hoof in front of his eyes, an red ball of energy appeared and the more magic Deeter gave to it, the larger it got, until it even began to pulse like a heart.
“Snaky would surely make some stupid joke on this.” murmled white unicorn and pushed the ball, inside by him created hole.
Then he rushed back to the entrance to the cave and hide behind large rock, right above it, so the changlings didn´t see him, unfortunately, he realized that he will not be protected from what he was going to do, so he had to rely on his magic.
Many unicorn in general were reyling on it on daily basis, but he prefered to use his physical ability, rather then the powers of his race.
When he felt ready, his horn, which was glowing up until now returned back to normal. In that very second, an explosion shaked with entire swamp and ripped out giant pices of rocks, like when dentist rips out bad teeth.
Avalanche continued to spread and Deeter had to create shiny red shield around him, so he didn´t get scrushed. Fortunately, from what he saw - which wasn´ too much, since lots of rocks, stopped on his shield and nearly blocked him from the world - none of the falling pieces, or the explosion itself, didn´t reveal any caves, which didn´t of course mean that they weren´t damaged.
But none of that was vice-captain´s goal. What he wanted was to lure the changelings out of the cave, which he did.
From the entrance rushed several dozens black and green, insect-like beings and gathered in front of it, seemingly waiting for orders from some of their superiors.
“They will not have time to accomplish them.” mumbled Deeter, still trapped under pile of giant rocks and teleported just far away, so he didn´t get immediately crushed. With his barier, blocking the stone pieces gone, the rest of the avalanche fell down in front of the cave, right on group of waiting changlings, who were too suprised from sudden destruction, that they didn´t even fly in the air and got crushed.
“I still have to be careful, there might be some alive. Either outside, or inside the cave.”
Deeter carefuly walked down from the place, where he teleported – the ground was very unstable and he didn´t want to get killed too – and rushed to the cave, so if there were alive enemies, they didn´t have enough time to prepare for him.
Among the rocks, which he let to fall at the end was several badly injured changelings, which he quickly took down with few magic blasts.
Unfortunately, the entrance was blocked, so he had to carefuly crush the stones, until he made small door, leading inside.
With small magical light he walked down the hall. Along the way he noticed one corridor, which was completly blocked by stones and further examining revealed, that it was propably burried completly.
Another suprise were changelings, or at least their parts, sticking from under of pieces of ceiling. After some time, he began to think that he was alone, at least in matter of enemies, but quiet scraping of rocks warned him about an ambush, which came just senconds later.
On his back jumped changeling and tried to bite him in the neck. Vice-captain was stronger, so the first thing he did, was move backwards and slam with him into a wall. Shape shifters grip weakened, so Deeter finished him up with magical blow into face.
But when he wanted to continues, he noticed, that something was stucked in his mane. Unicorn pulled it out with his magic and discovered, that it was a crystal similar to the one what he found in stomach of the dead changlings, when he and Snaky got eaten by a hydra. The changeling had to choke it out, when he hit the wall with his back. Without interest Deeter threw it away.
“What I want to know, is why they attack head to head? From what captain told me, they used shape shifting almost everytime, before attacking. I didn´t see them do it once. Hmmm, maybe it is because I am alone and they weren´t expecting me, so there wasn´t any reason to try to trick me.”
The trip inside the cave was so long, that it seemed like an eternity. The only things, that kept him interested was dangerous terrain and occasional dead changelings. And of course, concern, about lives of those, who he came to rescue.
So he walked, until he found a dead end. The corridor was blocked and according to iron bars, he had to be in the prison area.
“Damn it! Hopefully they are still alive.” without hesitating he blasted the blockage and entered.
“Is somepony alive here?” asked, right when he crawled through small hole he made.
“Kinda...” caughed voice of a pony, who he couldn´t see because of all the dust, which still didn´t fall on the ground.
“Wait a second I will get you out of here!”
Quickly he found the mare, who spoke at him, she had nice blue fur and amazing rainbow colored mane. From what he knew, her name was Rainbow Dash. Fortunately she didn´t seemed hurt, just she had to have dust in lungs.
“You are alone here?”
“No...there should my my friend too...Fluttershy. I didn´t hear her...for a while now.”
“I will find her and take her to the surface. You go through this hole and continue straight. You shouldn´t miss the exist. I will follow you right away.”
Mare again coughed and did what he told her. Quickly he continued through the prison and soon he found the pony, who had to be the other pegasus and former Element of Kindness. Just when Deeter was about to speak to her, he noticed bloody wound on her head. Some of the rocks propably hit her in the head.
Vice-captain freed her fom chains, by which she was being holded to the ground and put his hoof on her forehead.
“Thanks Celestia, she is just unconsciousness.” So he put her on his back and hurried towards the exit. The dust was starting to be way too much for him.
* * * * * *
They kept on coming, but the changelings were no match for him, not with the new magic, going throught his veins. Dozens of shape-shifter were lying on the ground either dead, or insane from fear, which nopony should ever feel.
Some of them had wouded bodies, when they tried to get rid of beings crawling out of them. They of course existed just inside of their imaginations. Illusions, which were evoked, when they looked into eyes of grey unicorn, slowly walking through the cave, which they used as a prison.
When there was nobody left to endanger him, the pony sadly looked into pool of blood and angrily tried to stare at one of his eyes. They used to be green like deep forest, but now one of them was red like liquid on the floor and hapilly looked around.
“Is this how you use my magic? Pathetic.” grawled Snaky at the pool and the red eye tried to look at him back.
“Pathetic you say? Isn´t tricking others your favourite hobby?” answered him voice, which was coming out of his mouth, but sounded completly different and also sounded like an echo.
“Ts! My magic is like a knife. You can be sleek and throw it, or you can mindlessly stab, which is exactly what you are doing.”
“Doesn´t matter to me and it shouldn´t matter to you either. We have a deal, so the only thing you should concern about is to fulfill it.”
“Watch your tone. I am the one who saved you and as you said, we have a deal and you still have something to do for me too.”
“What a spoiled brads are today. You saved my life? I could´ve use anypony, not just you. It was actually me, who saved you, when you threw yourself like a fool into danger, when you were saving that precious orange friend.”
The only answer he got was scraping of grey pony´s teeth.
“I hope you didn´t forget. You are a great liar, when it comes to words. I actually was suprised how easily your friends believed, that everything was just and illusion, but we both know that it isn´t true. After you went behind your limits by squeezing more magic out of you by pain, you allowed me to wake up. You would die, if I didn´t heal you and didn´t give you some of my magic.”
“I know. “ whispered Snaky and looked away from the pool.
“You being overly dramatic was lots of fun too. When you presented the wounded illusion of yourself as your former self or when you said that he was just a mistake.”
“Shut up. What I said back them was completly true. I never should let friendship get so deep inside of my heart. But that doesn´t matter anyway because at the end of our deal, I will have enough power to fulfill my dreams without friends.”
“Friends? Ha! Weren´t you paying attention during your trip to that zebra? They don´t trust you. That crystal pony had his doubts about how much can he trust anything when he´s near you and nopony of them could even undestand your cutiemark, the first thing they though of was that the apple was a bait! Trust me young one, they will betray you, the second they loose that bit of trust they have.”
Few moments there was silence, but then the grey unicorn began to laugh. It was similar laugh like the one what others heard, when they returned for him into the prisorn, but back then it came from darkness within him. Now it was he himself.
“You don´t understand! You might be powerful, but I didn´t expect you being so wrong!”
“What do you mean?” growled owner of the red eye.
“All I care about are my goals and entertainment. If they will betray me, then all it means to me is discovery of new feelings, which will keep me interested for a while. I will have so much fun searching for their meaning!”
Snaky had to stop for a moment and take a deep breath.
“I am actually looking forward to them betraying me.”
With these last words he forced the red eye to turn green again and continued through the cave, to save Princess Twilight and her friend.
“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!”
“Damn, damn, damn! Everytime I try to hit him, he turns into a shadow.” cursed Deeter in his thoughts. On top of that, he started to feel weak, from loss of blood, which was flowing out of his many wounds, caused by dark crystals.
“There isss something, what I have to admit.” hissed the one who used to be Snaky and gave to vice-captain curious look.
“You really are powerful my little cryssstal pony. I am sssuprised, that I didn´t notice you when I ruled the empire.”
“I don´t need praise from you.”
“What a troublesssome kid. Why don´t you jussst join me? If your loyality belongsss to Cryssstal Empire, then it would jussst make sssenssse, that you should ssserve to your king.”
“There are two things you are mistaken in. I am not a crystal pony, I was born in a small city near the empire. And the second one is simple. I am not loyal to the empire. I am loyal to Princess Cadence and prince Shining Armor. I remember the years in your slavery and horrors when I realized that we were sleeping for a thousand years.
Now with your curse broken my duty is to protect the royal family and make sure, that villain like you will never come back!”
“Hahaha. Being cryssstal pony doesn´t depend on your parentsss, or the place where you´ve been born in. It´s in your sssoul filly. It´sss quite interesssting, you remind me myssself, when I wasss young, more then thousssands yearsss ago. You, of courssse, can´t remember that, but you and I are very similar. The quessstion isss, how far are you willing to go, in order to fulfill your obligation?”
“There is nothing I wouldn´t do, in order to protect the empire!”
“Would you even kill your friend?”
When Sombra said it, all the shadows dissapeared and not knowing that Snaky´s eyes were green, not red, Deeter wouldn´t even guess that there was something wrong.
“What´s wrong Deeter?” asked the grey pony with his usual voice and slowly walked to the vice-captain.
“I thought that you would do anything for your beloved princess and here I am. One step before grasping the Crystal Heart and killing everypony you loved.” everything on him was just like illusionist. His calm movement and voice what never changed - when it made ponies smiles nor when it made the worst nightmare come true.
Deeter was still shocked by the change of his enemy, that he didn´t notice black crystal, that hit him in the back and forced him on knees.
When he looked up, his vision filled green eyes, completely identical with those Snaky´s.
“What a pity my friend. Here you are, defeated and for a friend, who acualy betrayed you long time ago.” grey unicorn widely smiled and enjoyed the terrified look on vice-captain´s face. Deeter shaked his head. That´s wasn´t Snaky, something like this wouldn´t ever make him smile. His enterainment came from tricking ponies, not from causing real harm, even if that came as a final product.
“What...do you mean?”
“Nothing complicated. When this filly realized that I am within his soul, he made a deal with me. I will teach him how to use dark magic, in exchange for Crystal Heart.”
“I don´t believe you! Why would Snaky needed such thing?”
“Heh, do you think that not being able to perform anything real with his magic didn´t irritate him?”
“What do I think? I think that I will ask him myself!”
Snaky´s eyes widely opened as the Crystal Heart suddenly appeared in front of him and hit him in the chest. From place, where the crystal touched him, glowed light blue magic.
“What did you...” grawled Sombra´s voice and painfuly grasped the shining place on his body.
“You were so focused on torturing me, that you didn´t notice, that I used my magic to slowly get the Heart close to me. I didn´t have enough joy and happiness to give it, but it still was enough for this spell.”
“Clever...plan. I wouldn´t...expect something like this....from you.” spoke once again Snaky´s voice and Deeter noticed that only one eye was red and that the other one changed it´s color back to normal.
“Snaky! Are you...?”
“No. Your spell, menaged to...give me some control over my body. But it isn´t enough. King Sombra is so powerful, that it will take just a minutes, before devouring my mind again.”
“What shall we do?”
“Well...I never liked long goodbyes, so just quickly. Thank you Deeter Spirit, the vice-captain of royal guard in Crystal Empire. It was pleasure meeting you.”
And before Deeter could even react, a sharp black crystal came out of ground and pierced Snaky´s neck. Grey unicorn coughed lots of blood and few times tried to take a breath, but eventualy his lifeless body just slipped and stayed stabbed on the crystal.
“No!” white pony rushed to his dead friend and quickly got him down from the spike. He tried to listen to his heartbeat, but there was nothing. No sound, just decreasing temperature. No life.
“You bassstardsss!” Deeter quickly raised his head and saw that one of the shadows in the room was more dark then others and had shape of pony.
“You...”
King Sombra in his full glory raised from the darkness and with hatred in his red eyes looked on two ponies in front of him.
“Damn trickssster. He sssurely hoped that I will die with him, but I menaged to leave him just in time. Unfortunately that meansss that I wasssn´t able to fully devour all hisss magic but...”
Dark unicorn widely smiled, just as cruely as when he was transformed into Snaky.
“...that will not be a problem.”
Slowly trotted to Deeter and while still walking, an black sword, made of crystal created next to him.
“It´sss time to end thisss.”
The weapon pointed at hurt unicorn and prepared to strike, but didn´t because King Somra was too suprised by what happened in front of his eyes. Dead body of Snaky and Deeter himself, suddenly shattered like two crystal, thrown on a hard rock.
The next thing what suprised him was crazy laught, which filled the whole room. It wasn´t sound caused by insanity, as he would expect, but by pure entertainment and good mood.
Sombra turned around to face the source and saw the pony, who was just few seconds ago, lying on the floor with pierced neck.
“You believed me! You really believed me that I would want to have anything to do with your pathetic dark magic!” shouted Snaky almost hysterically, inbetween bursts of laughter.
“I don´t need something as useless as black crystals and shadows, when I have my illusions and thinking that I would help to such disgrace of my powers, what needs to enchant doors by nightmares in order for them to work, that was just crazy!”
After that followed another burst of laught. Deeter, who was completly confused and wasn´t sure at all what was real, and what not, could just stand there and watch.
“How did you do that?” asked Sombra and seemingly wasn´t far from attacking the pony who mocked him.
“In that very second, when I trapped Chrysalis into illusion. I have the possibility to once per week trap anypony in my close range, without needing the eye, or any different contact with him. I simply made you think that I was going to kill myself, just so you left my body. Now, when you are out, it will be no problem to kill you.”
“You think? Aren´t you forgetting sssomething? Your friend is exhousted and you alone can´t hurt me.”
“You didn´t realize it, did you? Try to look closely.”
Whole body of the grey unicorn was embraced by light blue magic and above him was floating Crystal Heart. All the blue magic, created by unicorn´s happiness was being absorbed from Snaky by the relic, which alone shined like a star.
“This was my greatest trick I am so happy!” but even though he sounded tough, the illusionist was barely standing straight. Not only that he used up all his magic, but now he was also source for the Crystal Heart.
“Deeter! Now there is no time to be confused! The Crystal Heart belongs to crystal ponies. I am nothing more then mere liar, take it!”
Grey unicorn threw the heart towards his friend and he grabbed it with magic. Immediately the heart started to change shape, until it had appearance of beatiful sword, with hilt decorated by small sized relic.
When vice-captain touched it, his mane and fur crystalized and magic began to flow through his veins.
“You caused way too much suffering King. It´s time for you to pay for your crimes.”
Deeter charged the dark unicorn and stabbed the sword right into place, where he should have heart. The weapon pulsated as it had to fight it´s own battle with the shadows, until a wave of warm blue magic made King Sombra, ruller of the Crystal Empire thousands years ago, to perish into the wind, blowing into the room through hole, created by death of Chrysalis.
“We won. Snaky we won!”
Vice-captain threw the sword on the ground and rushed to help his friend back on his hooves.
“Hehe, but it was fun, wasn´ t it?” whispered Snaky.
“Not for me you idiot. But I guess, I should´ve count on it, you and Applejack gave me the clues but I wasn´t able to put them together.”
“Clues?”
“AJ said that I should be careful, because you don´t understand feelings of other´s and so you don´t care for emotional pain. And you alone told me that tricking is your way of entertaining, I should´ve expected that you will have some kind of plan.”
“Don´t be too hard on yourself, I never planned on giving you any clues, because when you spoil the point of the joke, then it stops being funny.”
Suddenly, a sound of clapping hooves came out of hall, leading to the royal bedroom. Soon, into the room entered Twilight, with worried face. Seemingly she was running the whole way and searching for them.
“Are you guys alright? We saw those lights, then all the changlings suddenly dissapeared and even the flames were extinguished!”
“Yes, we won. And what about you girls? Did you find princess and prince?”
“Yes, but we need you there. Cadence is in the last month of pregnancy and she is going to give birth right now!”
“What? That´s nonsense! It´s not even two weeks since the empire was attacked and back then she looked absolutely normal!”
“Eeeh. There is something what I forgot to tell you.” spoke Snaky behind him with “oh sh*t voice”.
“What?”
“The reason why I was in the Crystal Empire in the first place.”
* * * * * *
“So let me get this straight.” began Deeter, when Snaky finished explaining, during their way to royal hospital.
“Princess Cadence was pregnat for a long time now, but wasn´t sure how will prince Shining Amor react and also she wasn´t sure how to tell him about it, so she called you, to hide her pregnancy by illusion, until she would decide what to say?”
“That is correct, it´s long story how did we two met, but one day I will maybe tell it to you, since it´s hilarious.”
“I never had less trust into world in my entire life. All because I met you.”
“Thanks.”
Snaky was about to say something else, but Twilight was faster, when she stopped in front of a door with red cross on it.
“Guys, wait here, since all crystal ponies were taken away by changlings it´s on us to take care of the birth. Don´t worry, Applejack has some experience with it, but I have to ask Cadence, if she´s alright with you being there.
Purple alicorn slightly opened the door and talked with somepony on the other side. They both were very quiet, so two unicorns outside, didn´t hear them.
“Sorry, but you have to stay outside. One reason is that the husband should be the only stallion present on the birth and also Cadence doesn´t want you to see her in her state. Don´t worry, it´s nothing too bad, they weren´t in prison long enough to be exhousted or wounded. It´s just...girly thing. Get it?”
“Of course.” answered her Deeter and they both stayed in the hall, as Twilight told them.
“Aren´t you curious?” asked Snaky after a while.
“Of course I am and not only that, I am also incredibly happy for those two.”
“Well, don´t you want to take a look? Some of my magic is already back.”
“No, they forbidded us to do so.”
“Oh come on, just on a minute.”
Vice-captain declined again, but Snaky was persistent, until he actualy persuaded his friend.
“Fine, it´s nothing too hard, I will just make doors to look like closed and us invisible.”
Grey unicorn´s horn shortly shined and both ponies entered the room, where were all former element´s of harmony, Shining Amor, Spike and Princess Cadence.
The birth was already almost over and Applejack was just pulling out the rest of small pink baby.
“I can create anything in my illusions, but this is magic far beyond anyponies possibilities. How amazing.” whispered grey pony to his friend. He didn´t had to worry about others hearing him, since for ponies under effect of his spell, there was just an empty space, where those two were standing.
After a while Applejack was done and handed the baby, wrapped in a blanket to it´s mother.
Snaky all of that watched with wide smile, which dissapeared, when he got hit into head.
“Don´t you even think about doing some kind of prank.” threatened him very serious Deeter who was completly blown away, by what was heppening in front of him.
“Yea, yea. I know.”
Snaky walked few steps closer, so he could get a better look on newborn pony and didn´t even realized that he was standing next to Applejack, until he noticed her tired smile.
“You are not going to fool me again, Snaky.”even though she couldn´t know he was there, she turned around and kissed him on lips. His view has been blocked by her beatiful green eyes, so similar to his and it was his first kiss too, so he got completly lost in it.
He didn´t even realize that the illusion, by which he hid himself and Deeter, was lifted, in that second, when he returned the kiss to Applejack.
„I am here Cadence, what was that you needed?“ asked Shining Armor his beloved wife.
He was just talking with his vice-captain about situation in Crystal Empire, when one of Cadence´s guards bring him letter from her, in which she wanted him to come to her room.
„Hi, my dear. I know that you have lot of work, but there is something I need to talk with you about.“
Captain of royal guard stayed silence, he knew that his wife will tell him eventualy.
„It´s been already one and half year, since our wedding in Canterlot. Since then, it was the best time of my life, even though all those dangers we´ve been through, but don´t you think that there is something missing in our lives?“ she asked with smile of person watching someone not understanding a riddle.
„I don´t think so. Our lives are as perfect as they can possibly be.“ answered her husband.
„Then I believe I have suprise for you. Shining...“
Door to the room were rushely opened by a pony in crystal armor.
„Your majesties! I am so sorry, but vice-captain Deeter Spirit sended me to find you as quickly as possible!“
„What is happening?“ asked Shining. Deeter was his subordinate for a long time and he knew that he wouldn´t disturb them, if it wouldn´t be necessary.
„We´ve got informations that army of changelings is coming from the east and they don´t seem to be friendly.“
„Damn it. She again. Lead me to Deeter Spirit, we have to be prepared to defend ourselves.“ White unicorn was about to leave, but then he turned to Cadence.
„I´m sorry dear...“
„Don´t apologize, the suprise can wait.“she smiled and watched her husband and guard leave. Then Cadence walked to the window and stared to east.
„Chrysalis, will you ever get out of my life?“
* * * * *
„Captain, thanks Celestia you are here!“ greeted him white unicorn with crystal armor, dark red mane and jagged blade as a cutiemark.
„One of our scouts returned to the Crystal Empire few minutes ago, he was out of breath, because he wanted to warn us as fast as possible!“
„Did he said, if Queen Chrysalis was in the army?“
„As far as he knows, she isn´t.“
„That is at least something good. How far are they?“
„If they didn´t stop for a break, then they will be visible any moment now.“
Actualy, Shining Armor already could see a black cloud, coming to their home. His mind whirled with questions. What do they want? Will be Crystal Heart strong enough to protect them?
„What should we do?“ asked Deeter.
„Nothing. There is nothing we can do. We have to wait and hope.“
The cloud was coming closer and soon, all ponies could see that it is really swarm of changelings, they stopped few inches from the magical bubble, what pretected the empire.
„Citizens of Crystal Empire.“ spoke one of those insect-like creatures with decorated helm on head. His voice sounded like voice of pony dying on thirst and it was obvious that he doesn´t talk when he doesn´t have to.
„In the name of Queen Chrysalis we declare war to your empire and to the rest of Equestria. You can either give up right now, or die.“
Changeling smiled and showed sharp teeth, which he immediately sank into light blue shield, ripped a piece of of it and ate it.
Others followed his lead and soon they entered the empire.
„Damn! How could I forget? Changelings have love and joy as a food.“ growled Shining and his horn shined with light purple magic.
Another magical shield stopped intruders, but the question was, for how long?
„Deeter, come closer.“ said captain of the royal guard and prince of the Empire to his subordinate.
„I need you to go to Ponyville, you have to find Twilight Sparkle and her friends!“
„Sir, I can´t leave Crystal Empire with those monsters nearby. My duty is to protect you and royal family!“
Shining Armor smiled.
„No. Your duty is to follow orders. You are good friend Deeter, but you don´t have to worry so much. I can protect the Empire until you come back.“
Prince stared straight to his eyes.
„Go! The train station isn´t in radius of my shield. If you will not hurry, there will be no chance in getting to Ponyville in one piece.“
Red haired unicorn hesitated for a while, but then he turned back and rushed to the station. Crystal ponies were scared, but everypony who saw him, quickly cleared his path. Along the way he noticed grey unicorn with black mane with wide purple stream in the middle, staring at him. He shortly looked into his purple eyes, but hurried to the station. He didn´t have time to think about strange ponies.
Deeter´s body shivered, when he ran through Shining Armor´s spell and right after he left, changelings appeared all around him and decided to chase him down.
„Fools.“ unicorn´s horn shined with red magic and few creatures that were the closest to him got blasted away. But there still was at least forty of them and young vice-captain couldn´t affort waste time by battling with them, so he continuied running to the train station.
It was so close that he could see the train, preparing to leave, but suddenly sharp pain pierced one of his back legs and he tripped. Turns out, that one of the changelings actually bit him, leaving him no choice but to fight.
Deeter Spirit turned around to face the enemies and fired another beam of red magic. Unfortunately, the changelings had advantage in numbers and last thing he saw, were sharp fangs of creature, coming closer to his neck. Then...
* * * * * *
...he woke up in coupe, on a train.
„What the...?“ said silently. Last thing he remembered was changeling, that was about to kill him.
„You don´t have to worry, changelings are still searching for you.“ answered him young male voice, maybe little too arrogant.
White unicorn looked up and saw that same grey unicorn, who he noticed when he was leaving his home.
„Who are you? What happened?“
„Calm down vice-captain, if nothing else I saved your life.“
Guard stayed silent.
„My name is Snaky Arcanum. About your second question. When you firstly noticed me I used my magic on you without your notice and let you fight changelings in world of illusions, which made your body fell asleep. After that I disctracted changelings by illusion of you and carried you to the train. Right now we are on the way to Ponyville.“
„Why did you do that?“
„Several reasons. Including you being in trouble, my own need to get on the train and most importantly – I need your help.“
„I am sorry, but I am afraid that I am little busy right now.“
„Too busy to save the Crystal Empire?“ asked Snaky and started to laugh like crazy to his own joke. Apparently, Deeter´s stressed out situation seemed funny to him.
“Now seriously. I guessed that you are on way to Ponyville to alarm princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends to go help Crystal Empire. We have same goals, but you are vice-captain of royal guard, which means that you have to be skilled fighter, which isn´t really one of my skills.”
“Heh, so this means that we are allies?”
“Correct.”
* * * * *
Back in the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor was preparing his soldiers to fight with changelings and Princess Cadence was walking around the town and comforting crystal ponies.
Everypony was so focused on their situation, that nopony noticed several dark shadows turquoise hiding in corners, waiting for their opportunity.